Beer, ball and free Yoga

The Procrastinator's Guide to Labor Day weekend

Free Day of Yoga
You won't admit it, but you want this guy in your Labor Day weekend.
Photo by Patty Keigan
Forget the grill — let someone else cook you during Houston Restaurant Week.
College football kicks off all over town — including the 26th Annual HoustonLabor Day Classic.
Brewmasters International Beer Festival ... enough said

It's been such an insane August — with an offshore oil explosion, fires, Clemens court dates and more fires — that we almost forgot about the three-day weekend until it was upon us. But that doesn't mean our Labor Day plans are limited to gym, tanning, laundry and watching Jersey Shore reruns. Here's how to celebrate the last bit of summer, city-style.

- Almost 100 restaurants have extended their Houston Restaurant Week deals until Monday, which means a last chance to indulge in the best dining experience without the four-star price. Check out the list of extended HRW participants and their menus here.

- This weekend also means opening games for college football. Check out one of the in-state rivalries on display, whether it's Rice vs. Texas at Reliant Stadium or the University of Houston vs. Texas State at Robertson Stadium.

- For the biggest rivalry around (this weekend), hit the TSU game against Prairie View A&M, also known as the 26th Annual Houston Labor Day Classic. Checkout the pre-game weekend mixers or just head to Reliant Stadium, where the halftime battle of the bands will be as intense as the football contest.

-Forget spending $10 at the movies. Head to Miller Outdoor Theatre on Friday night for District D at the Movies Night's free screening of one of the highest-grossing movies in history — 2009's Avatar.

-35 miles from the city in Rosharon, Skydive Spaceland is hosting the's world's most accomplished adrenaline junkies for the National Canopy Piloting Championships. Watch them soar through the air with the greatest of ease through Saturday.

-Through Monday the Brewmasters International Beer Festival takes over Moody Gardens and Galveston, the highlight of which should be the Brew HaHa Grand Tasting on Saturday from 3-6 p.m., featuring over 300 international, domestic and local Texas beers, as well as food and music.

-This is the third of four weekends making up the Houston Fringe Festival, at EaDo's Frenetic Theater. Catch performances by iconoclastic artists from all over the spectrum, from theater performances by Ray Hill and Dan Perez, dance by Moth/Sol Y Luna from Canada and Zoetic Dance from Atlanta, film and live performance from Margo Toombs and light-painting by Matt & Che Crawford.

-On Sunday, get your bhangra on at Miller Outdoor Theatre with the colorful signing and dancing family fun of Bollywood Blast, put on my Sanskriti, the Society for Indian Performing Arts

-You know you love a bad boy — especially one with his heart on his sleeve. So head to The Woodlands' Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion and listen to John Mayer's soulful crooning on Sunday night. We won't tell your friends.

-Monday is Free Day of Yoga, so find one of the 50 participating studios around town and get your zen on — after all, this three-day weekend can't last forever.

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"Here come the grannies!"

Walk through the Magic Door to experience the world of Bluey in Houston

bluey and bingo's bedroom at camp in houston

Courtesy of CAMP

Houston will soon be the home of a new CAMP store, featuring interactive installations like the house from "Bluey."

Bluey is coming to the Galleria this February “for real life” through an immersive event that invites visitors to enter the world of the famous Australian Heeler family. This one-of-a-kind experience brings the Heeler home and backyard to life with intricate details that will delight fans of all ages.

Tickets are on sale now for Bluey x CAMP, the inaugural interactive experience of the combination toy store, party venue, and immersive theater space. This is The Family Experience Company’s first CAMP location in Houston, with the business securing a 7,500-square-foot permanent retail space in the Galleria.

Through “The Magic Door,” a pivoting wall, visitors step into seasonally rotating interactive spaces beginning with a 5,000-square-foot lifesize replica of Bluey’s house.

Visitors can play games made popular by the show, such as grannies and keepy uppy, and bust a move when “dance mode” is activated. The kitchen’s fridge is covered in drawings by the Heeler puppies, while the living room TV plays Bluey.

Families can explore both a pillow fort and a cardboard castle — two-story structures complete with slides — before venturing into a playroom stocked with toys and costumes from the show. In the backyard, a recreation of the Heeler’s large tree is surrounded by charming gnomes. A photo opportunity with Bluey and Bingo tops off the visit.

Beyond the world of Bluey, CAMP offers even more for visitors in its Canteen space, with a splatter room, The Schmutz Bar (a slime creation station), a party room, and a playable truck. Customers can also shop for toys, clothing, and accessories.

Houston joins a list of CAMP’s locations in Dallas, Atlanta, New York City, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. Installations change seasonally, with other current features including Paw Patrol, The Little Mermaid, and Encanto.

Courtesy of CAMP

Houston will soon be the home of a new CAMP store, featuring interactive installations like the house from "Bluey."

bluey galleria-houston camp bluey x camp